One-day trip idea: Žďákovský Bridge, Orlík Castle, Blatná and Žinkovy

My husband and I both love castles, chateaus and similar places, but I have to admit we rarely actually go inside. Something really has to catch our interest for that. And when you travel as much as we do, you pass quite a lot of castles and chateaus along the way. Let’s be honest – if we bought a ticket for every single one, we’d never afford it. 😀

We also like to head out on trips outside the main season, or on days when there aren’t as many tourists around at certain places – and that’s often exactly when the interiors are closed.

So most of the time it’s completely enough for us to walk around, look at the building itself, take a few photos, stop somewhere, enjoy the view and move on.

And that’s exactly what one of our full-day trips looked like. The main goal was Orlík Castle, but since we were already heading that way, of course we wanted to see a bit more along the road. 🙂

First stop – Žďákovský Bridge

Before we reached Orlík, we stopped at Žďákovský Bridge. Back then, we parked right near the Žďákovský most sign and continued on foot to the bridge. Some time has passed since our visit, though, so today I’d of course always follow the current traffic signage on site.

It was a bit overcast that day, but luckily it didn’t rain, so we could enjoy the view in peace. And there was plenty to look at. Below us stretched the Orlík reservoir, and from the bridge you can really see just how big it is. Žďákovský Bridge is quite an interesting piece of engineering in its own right. It was completed in 1967, measures around 543 metres, and thanks to its steel arch construction it was a world first at the time it was built. It connects both banks of the Orlík reservoir at a height of roughly 50 metres above the water.

So if you’re driving by, I’d definitely stop here for at least a little while. It’s not a half-day stop, but walking a bit along the bridge and looking down at the water is worth it. The Orlík reservoir is part of the Vltava cascade and stretches for dozens of kilometres along the river. Its creation also significantly changed the landscape around Orlík Castle.

Žďákovský Bridge and the view over the Orlík reservoir

✕ ❮

❯

Orlík nad Vltavou Castle

After a short stop on the bridge, we continued to our main goal – Orlík Castle. We left the car at the car park called Parkoviště zámek Orlík 1. During our visit, parking cost 100 CZK for the whole day, and it’s just a short walk from the car park to the castle. And already as you approach Orlík and see it from a distance, it looks truly majestic. 🏰

The castle stands on a cliff above the Orlík reservoir, and I really loved this position of it. Originally, though, it stood high above the Vltava river. Already in the 13th century there was a fortress here that protected an important route and a place connected with river navigation. Later, Orlík went through a series of rebuilds and is closely tied above all to the Schwarzenberg family.

The creation of the Orlík reservoir then significantly changed the whole area around the castle. The water came much closer to the castle, and part of the original castle park ended up underwater. We didn’t go inside this time either. It was completely enough for us to walk around, view the castle from different angles and enjoy the place outdoors. And I have to say, I really liked Orlík. Maybe precisely because of how it stands high above the water and how striking it looks in the surrounding landscape.

Orlík nad Vltavou Castle from various angles

✕ ❮

❯

From the castle, we also walked down to the Orlík marina. During the summer season, boats leave from here on regular sightseeing cruises around the reservoir, for example to Zvíkov Castle or on a loop cruise around Orlík Castle. A few boats happened to be moored in the marina. 🛥️

Orlík marina with the sightseeing boats

✕ ❮

❯

Blatná Castle

Since we still had plenty of time, we decided to keep going and stop by Blatná Castle as well. We managed to park close to the castle in a free car park and continued on foot from there. What caught my eye at Blatná was the approach itself. A stone bridge leads to the castle across the water, and right behind it the characteristic tower and the whole castle grounds come into view.

Blatná is one of the best-preserved moated noble residences in the country, and its history goes back to the 13th century.

During our visit, we could enter the courtyard for free, so we could at least take our time looking at the castle from that part. We didn’t end up going into the castle park, though. Entry was paid, and we noticed it was mostly full of families with kids heading that way. Fallow deer and peacocks roam freely in the park, so I get why it’s such a big draw for children.

This time we made do with the courtyard and the view of the castle from outside. And I liked Blatná too. It’s completely different from Orlík, and that’s exactly what I enjoy about trips like this.

Blatná Castle with the stone bridge over the moat

✕ ❮

❯

Last stop – Žinkovy Castle

And since whenever we go somewhere, we usually want to fit in as much as possible, we ended our trip at Žinkovy Castle.

It caught my eye right away. With its towers, light façade and location by a pond, it feels a bit like something out of a fairy tale. The history of this manor house goes back to the 14th century. Originally there was a water fortress here, and the building changed several times over the centuries. The castle got its current romantic look mainly during a major rebuild at the end of the 19th century.

At the time of our visit, the castle was closed to the public. We could still walk up to it and at least view it from the outside and walk around the grounds. That’s no longer the case today, though. Žinkovy Castle has reopened to the public after many years, and guided tours of the interiors are now held there.

Žinkovy Castle in the English park

✕ ❮

❯

Four places in one day, spending almost nothing

And with that, our trip was slowly coming to an end. In one day, we managed to see Žďákovský Bridge, Orlík Castle, Blatná Castle and Žinkovy Castle. We weren’t rushing anywhere, we walked around a bit at each place, took some photos, and at some spots we just stopped and soaked it all in.

We had snacks and drinks in our backpack, so we didn’t have to worry about restaurants or food stops, and the whole trip basically only cost us petrol and 100 CZK for parking at Orlík. And even so, my husband and I had a really lovely time. 🙂

I think you really don’t have to spend a lot of money on every trip, or walk through every single castle chamber. Sometimes it’s enough to just get in the car, stop along the way at places that catch your eye, walk around a bit and see something new again. After that we headed for the motorway and slowly made our way back home.

Another ordinary full-day trip was behind us, and once again we came back with a pile of photos and memories. 🙂

Would you enjoy a one-day trip like this? 🙂